Evergreen, conic or pyramidal, resinous trees with thin scaly bark and whorled branches. Short shoots 0. Winter buds generally not resinous, ovoid or conic, rounded to subacute. Lvs solitary, spirally arranged, ± 2-ranked (except on young erect shoots), inserted on a persistent peg-like projection of the shoot (thus older leafless part of shoots rough), linear and flat to quadrangular, green above and with 2 greyish stomatal bands on lower (inverted adaxial) surface, or stomatiferous on all 4 sides, usually with 2 marginal resin ducts. ♂ strobili (cones) axillary, cylindric or catkin-like, yellow to red, erect or pendent. ♀ cones terminal, ripening in first year, generally purplish before maturity, pendent; ovuliferous scales always much > bract scales, rather thin; ovules 2 to each scale. Mature cones not disintegrating, pendulous, generally cylindric. Seed winged.